“Enough,” Holden said. “We’re done. You can’t hurt her anymore.”
Henry met Holden’s eyes. “We tried biting before, you know. But it never worked. Now I think it must have been the wrong wolf and perhaps the wrong human. Maybe it was the blood in her veins and the vaccine aided her transition. We will have to try that out in the future. But perhaps it was also the fact that you are the Alpha and Test Subject A is your mate. Hmm? Interesting isn’t it. I can’t wait to dissect her again to see what I find out.”
Holden took two steps forward but Soren’s growl held him back. He stopped but didn’t keep his gaze off the doctor.
“You know you can’t kill me,” Henry continued. “You are nothing. Just a wolf with no power. The guards here will protect me. And when I am through with Test Subject A, I will find more of you to study. We will make shifters of our own. You can’t fight back because you are scared. Little wolves with your tails tucked between your legs.”
Holden threw his head back and howled. Before the humans could react, he jumped, his hands turning into in claws. The doctor jerked once as Holden sliced through the man’s neck. Henry gurgled before he fell to his knees, not even allowed to take one last breath. Holden rolled to the side and knocked a guard on his ass, taking his Taser and throwing it toward Ariel. His mate caught it easily, arming herself. The rest could fight as wolves, but she wasn’t ready for that yet.
“Stop!” one guard yelled, his arms up.
Blood dripped from Holden’s hands, and his chest heaved. He could kill each one of these guards now and get his people out. He’d find a why to hide them all and try to keep them alive. But the countless other shifters in the world would pay the price. It wasn’t time their plan.
Yet.
“We let you kill him because he tortured a human,” the guard said, his face pale. Holden remembered him. This was the one from before that hadn’t wanted to hurt the wolves. No, this was one who merely did a job. A horrific one, but he didn’t enjoy it. “We can’t let you go if you keep fighting. We can say the doctor had an accident, but if you don’t get back behind the gate, we will have to fight back.” The guard let out a breath. “I know you have extra senses. Use them and find the guns we have on you.”
Holden inhaled deeply and cursed at the tang of metal, gun oil and gunpowder too close for comfort.
“We’ll take care of the doc, but you need to get back. You hear me?”
Holden could hear the fear in the man’s voice, but understood the chance they had here. No more bloodshed—at least for the time being. The man who had hurt Ariel had died by his hand. It would have to do. For now.
“Keep your men away from us,” Holden said. “We won’t be lying back anymore.”
The guard lifted his chin, and Holden slowly backed away so he stood behind the gate. Ariel came up to his side, her body tense but her gaze on the ones that had threatened to hurt them. The metal fence closed in front of them, locking them in once more. But things had changed ever so slightly, and they all knew it.
No matter what happened next, they had stood up for themselves, shown the humans that they would no longer merely lie down and take it.
The guards backed away with the doctor’s body in tow, leaving the wolves behind the fence.
“Do you think I’m a monster for killing him?” Holden asked.
“I’m only pissed I couldn’t do it myself,” Ariel answered. “You’ll have to teach me that claw trick.”
Soren let out a snort beside them. “It's not over, you know. They’ll come back to find out more about the change.”
“And I have a feeling they might still punish us for what happened to that douchebag doctor,” Theo put in.
Holden nodded. “I know. It’s far from over, but damn, it felt good to use my claws again.”
“Next time let the rest of us join in,” Soren said softly. “We were all set until that guard backed off.”
Holden brought Ariel into his arms, needing her body pressed close to his. “I know. And I thank you for that. Now let’s get back to the den center and make sure everyone is aware of what just happened. It’s only the beginning.”
“Only the beginning,” Ariel repeated softly. “But we won’t back down.”
He kissed her once, hard and fast. “Never.”
The River Pack was just one of many thought lost to a world of terror and pain. But soon the humans would remember who saved them. Soon there would be vengeance.
And as long as Holden had his mate by his side, he could face the future. Because without her, there wasn’t a future worth living.
Chapter 10
Ariel fingered the mating tattoo on her arm, freshly inked and yet not painful at all. In fact, the buzz of the needle pressed against her skin had only turned her on. Okay, so maybe it had been Holden’s cock firmly pressed against her ass while she’d gotten her mating tattoo that had turned her on. He’d made her sit on his lap while Gibson finished up the ink, and she hadn’t put up much of a fight.
Or any fight, really.
“If you keep doing that, I’m going to bend you over the table and fuck you before we head back to the center of the den.”
Ariel rolled her eyes at her mate’s warning, even as her nipples hardened at his words.
“We are already running late as it is. I promised Mandy I’d be there to help set up the food tables for the bonfire.”
The wolves would have their annual bonfire to celebrate the lives of those lost¸ and the lives of those still with them. It had been three weeks since they’d seen or heard a guard. Ariel wasn’t sure what that meant, but it had kept everyone on edge. The consequences of Claire’s betrayal—as well as Holden’s and Ariel’s—would soon come to light. However, for that night, they would do their best to push that form their minds and be who they were.
Shifters.
She kissed him quickly then tried to make her way to the door, only to have Holden wrap his arms around her waist.
“Not so fast, siren.” He kissed her temple and she shivered. She turned in his arms and leaned into him, craving him more now than she had the first time he’d held her. “I love you, my Ariel, my mate. I should have said that before, but I didn’t. And for that, I am sorry. I love you so fucking much. No matter what happens with the Pack and with the ones around us, I want you to know that you will always be in my heart and my soul.”
Tears filled her eyes and she lifted onto her toes to kiss him softly, her heart so full she could barely breathe. “I love you, too. You’re everything to me. You’re my mate, my Alpha, and my soul. I know we came together in the worst way possible, but I don’t regret my love for you and our chance at a future one bit. I know that the future won’t be easy, but I will never leave your side. You’re everything to me. You’re mine as I am yours.”
Holden growled and crushed his mouth to hers. She moaned into him, her wolf brushing along her skin, wanting contact as well. Holden backed her to the wall, his hard cock pressed against her belly. With a sigh, she pulled away from his mouth, trying to catch her breath.
“We can’t be late, Holden.”
He growled softly then pressed a kiss to her mouth once more. “Fine. But when we get back, I’m fucking you hard into the bed. It's only fair.”
She snorted. “Okay, if that’s what you want.” She let out a put-on sigh. He slapped her ass and she jumped. “Dude.”
“Dude.” He wiggled his eyebrows, forcing a laugh from her. She loved when he showed his playful side. He didn’t let it out often, and she had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to that many more times in the near future, but she’d take what she could get now.
They tangled their fingers together and made their way to the den center. People gathered around, saying their greetings and working on setting up the event. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Claire lurking around.
In the end, the other woman’s fate had been on Ariel’s shoulders. While some might have killed her since it was the way of wolves, Ari
el hadn’t been able to do it. Instead, she forced the woman to live in a world where she was part of the cause of what would come. She would be forced to watch the pain and death if that was what the humans decided. If the humans rebelled and found a way to use this newfound knowledge for their own gain, Claire’s fate would be worse than death.
As it was, the Pack had shunned her. Claire lost her rank as a dominant and now tried to be part of a Pack that didn’t want her.
Ariel didn’t envy her in the slightest, but she did pity her.
Holden let out a small grow. “Stop it. You made your choice, and so did she.”
“I understand that, but it doesn’t make it any easier. Seeing her reminds me of the role I played.”
“The role you played was to survive. What’s done is done. Now let’s celebrate with our Pack.” He kissed her once more, and she moaned. That man could make her drunk on his taste alone. He broke off the kiss and left her with Mandy while he went to help Soren prepare the bonfire.
As they set up the food area, Ariel and Mandy talked of trivial things, their focus on that night rather than the future. As the sun began to set, the hairs on the back of Ariel’s neck stood on end.
She lifted her head, her wolf on edge. Five guards strolled in, guns at the ready and their faces set. Ariel didn’t see the guard who had helped them before.
She quickly moved to Holden’s side. Her mate stood in front of her, but didn’t push her back. That he valued her presence spoke volumes of both of their dominances.
“Holden,” a new guard she hadn’t seen before called out. “We have a letter for you from the leader of the SAU.”
Ariel frowned as Holden moved forward and took the letter from the human.
“You’ll have a month to set up. Don’t waste time.” With that, the humans fell back, leaving the wolves alone and confused as ever.
“What does it say?” she asked as Holden ripped open the envelope.
He let out a curse, his hands fisting. “They found their punishment.”
“What?” Soren asked.
Holden met Soren’s gaze and Ariel saw a look pass over her mate’s face she didn’t understand. “They’re moving the Feline Pack into our compound. It seems we’re going to share the space.”
Soren paled, his hands fisted at his side.
Ariel blinked. “What does that mean?” she asked. She was still so new to the shifter world; she didn’t understand all the dynamics that came with it.
“It means the SAU changed the game. The Felines have never been our enemy, nor have they been our friends. They have an Alpha of their own, a culture of their own.” Holden took a breath, and Ariel put her hand on his hip, knowing he needed her touch to calm down. “There was a reason the SAU separated us in the first place. Felines and Canines together has never ended well.”
Ariel sucked in a breath. “And now they will live with us. For good.”
“The humans found the perfect punishment. And they don’t even have to lift a weapon to carry it out.”
Two Packs. One den. A change had come, all right. And Ariel wasn’t sure she knew who would come out on top. Yet, no matter what, she would be by Holden’s side. Her mate kissed her temple, and she let out a sigh. They would survive, they always had.
The future might be uncertain, but they had one thing on their side.
Each other.
Forgiven
Prologue
The wolf slid through the wooded darkness, careful to avoid the man-lights that turned the night to day in the middle of the compound. The communal area where the River Pack publicly gathered to meet was always bathed in the harsh glow of lanterns.
Thankfully, this part of the compound was thick with pines and moss, hiding him from view. He was alone, surrounded only by the rich gifts offered by Mother Earth.
He might be a Pack animal at heart, but on this eve, he had no desire to run with his brothers.
No. This was not an excursion to celebrate life and the joy of the hunt. Or to ponder the growing danger from the humans after his Alpha had sliced his claws through the throat of the doctor trying to take away his mate.
This was an attempt to exorcise the demons of his past.
Almost as if to mock his efforts, his large silver and black fur-covered body came to a sharp halt as he caught the unmistakable scent of feline.
Tiger.
He’d known the Golden Pack had arrived earlier in the day, spreading among the precious few cabins that were scattered throughout the outer part of the den. But he hadn’t expected to pick up her scent so swiftly.
A dangerous yearning curled through his belly.
Something that was a mixture of hunger and lust and need.
Tilting back his head, the wolf howled at the moon.
Chapter 1
Seated in front of her bedroom mirror, Cora Wilder pulled a brush through her long curls that shimmered with red and gold highlights in the muted glow of the nearby lamp.
She ignored her own reflection. She was too familiar with her thin, feline face and slanted emerald-green eyes rimmed with pure gold to see the beauty. Nor did she care that her sleek, well-toned body with a hint of copper in her satin-smooth skin featured in the wet dreams of most males who crossed her path.
But the large tiger shifter standing behind her was aware of Cora’s ability to daze and befuddle the opposite sex. And as her father, and Alpha of the Golden Pack, Jonah Wilder was prepared to use her as a weapon when necessary.
“I don’t know why you have to be so stubborn,” he growled. Although well into his fifties, Jonah was still a handsome male with a lean, arrogant face and dark red hair that was cut short. His body was spare, but there was no mistaking the strength in his fluid muscles.
He wasn’t Alpha because of his ability to win friends and influence people.
He was the meanest, baddest cat around.
Cora, however, wasn’t about to be intimidated, manipulated, or bullied.
The dominance structure among the feline Pack wasn’t nearly as structured as the wolves, and while she respected her father’s authority, she was too independent to be told what to do.
“Probably because I’m your daughter,” she told him.
“Ha.” The male’s emerald eyes narrowed in triumph. “So you do accept your position as the Alpha’s eldest child.” He planted his hands on his hips, stretching the crisp white shirt that he’d matched with a pair of black slacks tightly across his chest. “Which means your place is at my side as I greet our newest neighbors.”
She shrugged, keeping her voice light. “Trust me, the wolves have no interest in a spoiled tiger princess.”
“I assume you speak of one wolf in particular?” her father challenged.
Her delicate features hardened. Oh, no. He did not go there.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Cora, I’m not stupid, and I’m certainly not blind.” Something that might have been regret darkened his eyes. “I was well aware of your fascination with Soren.”
Cora dropped the brush on her dresser. She didn’t want her father to see her hand tremble. She may not have much after Soren Slater had crushed her soul, but she did have her pride.
“I was young and stupid.” Golden sparks glowed in her eyes, warning the older male that her ready temper was about to explode. “I was fascinated by a lot of different males.” Lie, lie, lie.
“Maybe, but not all of them broke your heart.”
With a sharp motion, Cora surged to her feet, her hands clenched at her sides as she moved toward the suitcase that she’d left on a chair.
Like most cats, Cora was not only fastidious in her grooming; she was a neat freak. Something that used to drive Soren nuts…
A low growl rumbled in her throat.
Dammit. She’d promised herself that she wasn’t going to allow this forced move into the wolves’ den to catapult her into the past. She’d wasted enough time mourning the loss of the mate her cat had chosen. She w
asn’t going to give the bastard one more tear.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It did.” Her father grimaced. “And I would have neutered the dog if I’d thought he’d deliberately tried to hurt you.”
She kept her face averted, absently pulling out a shirt before she moved across the small bedroom to hang it in the closet.
“What makes you think he didn’t?”
“I, better than anyone, understand the burden of duty.” Jonah’s voice was rough. No surprise. As Alpha, Jonah was taking the forced move of his people as a personal insult. “There are times when we all have to put our Pack before our own desires.”
Cora’s cat pressed against her skin, agitated by talk of the male that had denied her attempt to form a permanent bond.
“It was a long time ago.”
There was an awkward hesitation as her father watched her unpack the last of her clothing into the closet that was far too small to contain even a quarter of her wardrobe. Not that Cora was about to complain. She was one of the few who actually had her own space. Now that they were squashed into the same area as the dogs, they barely had room to breathe.
“You know, his mate died,” Jonah abruptly broke the silence.
She stilled, her hands crushing the silk shirt in her hands. “Father, I’m not interested in Soren.”
“Then prove it,” he commanded. “Come with me.”
And have her first meeting with Soren in over seven years be in front of an audience? Not a chance in hell.
“I have nothing to prove.”
“If that were true, you wouldn’t be hiding in your room.”
Heaving an aggravated sigh, she turned to glare at her father.
“Don’t you have a welcoming ceremony to attend?”
“Welcoming ceremony?” There was a glimpse of Jonah’s tiger in his eyes as he battled back his surge of frustration. If they’d been in their previous home, the male would already be shifted and hunting down something to kill. “More like a clusterfuck waiting to happen. Dogs and cats weren’t meant to live together. If I were a betting man, I’d lay odds we won’t make it through the first meal without bloodshed.”